DAY 205
JENNIE
I was in the middle of a company meeting when I received a call from Jin. At first, I ignore it because I'm in the middle of very important meeting wherein my own company's sake was on the line.
However, the call keeps going and won't stop vibrating. It seems like Jin have something important to tell and I can't any longer focus in the meeting.
I raise my hand and the current presentor, Jisoo stopped from talking.
"Let's take a break for now, shall we?" I told them which made Jisoo raise an eyebrow with my sudden request.
Everyone in the meeting room relucantly nodded since they can't do something but to agree even though they don't want to because I'm the boss of this company.
I picked up my phone from the table and answered it.
On The Phone
KJ: Why do you keep calling? I'm in the middle of an important meeting.
KS: President Kim, I found who truly your wife is.
KJ: Really? Tell me.
KS: **cleared his throat** I didn't expected that your wife was the most powerful person. Her true full name is Lalisa Pranpriya Manoban-Brüshweiler, the only daughter of Mrs. Chittip Manoban and Mr. Marco Brüshweiler and the inheritor of the L.M Company.
My eyes widened with the news, I didn't expected that my wife was the inheritor. The most powerful person in the whole world.
KS: I know it sound unbelievable but it was the truth. Also, President Kim...
KJ: W-what?
KS: If the Brüshweilers found out that I found the inheritor's identity, they will kill me.
KJ: Hide, I will do something to prevent that.
Call Ended
I hang up the phone and quickly dialed my wife's phone but she was not answering. She is in the KM Group building so she is probably busy with her work.
A message notification pop out of the screen of my phone.
Message from Seokjin:
> Mr. Kim found out the truth.
"Fuck!" I cussed and ran out of the meeting room which made everyone inside confused.
"Jennie! Where are you going?!" I heard Jisoo shouted as she ran after me.
I went inside the elevator and Jisoo did as well. She looked at me confusedly and worriedly.
"What's wrong?" She asked.
I looked at her, can't say anything and don't know if I should tell her the truth about my wife.
"Come on, tell me what's wrong. Did something bad happen?" She hold my shoulder, making me face her. "Tell me, so I will find something I could do to help you."
"My wife..." I started and she motioned me to keep speaking. "Lalisa was from the Brüshweiler Family."
She frowned, "The Brüshweiler Family?"
I nodded.
She went quiet for awhile then her eyes widened and her mouth went agape when realization hit her.
She just realize that her friend was the inheritor.
"No way! She is the inheritor?!" She exclaimed which made me quickly cover her mouth.
"Don't shout, Jisoo." She nodded and remove my hand from her mouth.
"What the fuck? How did that happen? I though the inheritor was prisoned in her castle afraid that people outside will harm her." She inquired, making me wonder.
"I don't know. There is lots of questions going on inside my head too and I badly needed answers to that. Here's why I'm rushing where my wife is and I recieve a message from Jin saying that my father found out my wife true identity." I honestly told her and she gasped.
"Shit! Your father might kill her." She cursed.
Ting!
As soon as the elevator door opened, we went outside and run towards the car. She was the one who's driving and I'm sitting in the passenger seat.
She stepped on the gas pedal, not caring about the speed limit law since it's the least thing we caring about right now.
"Do you think Dad will kill her?" I asked Jisoo which made her glance at me but soon her eyes went back to road.
"I think so. Your father might think that the inheritor work under your company just too know about how KM Group works then exposed everything she learns about your whole family." Jisoo said which made me overthink.
I looked at her, "Why did she work under the rival company of her family?"
"I don't know. Your wife was the only one who can answer that. Didn't she mention something or anything about her before?"
My gaze went back to the road and think for a moment, trying to remember everything Lalisa have told me.
Her back was facing me, and I asked, "Do you really hate the idea of loving me romantically?"
"No, I don't hate it. It's just that I'm not very fond of loving someone or any commitment. I'm incapable of that." She honestly answered.
"Why is that?"
"I'm still immature and childlike inside. All in my mind was to be happy, enjoy this free life, and do the things I had never done before. If I enter into a romantic relationship, it will only lead to me hurting my lover for being selfish and inconsiderate since all I can think of is making myself happy."
"Why do you sound so determined to live your life to the fullest?"
"Because I am, sooner or later this free life I'm having right now will be taken away from me." She chuckled softly and sighed. "Therefore, I'm enjoying this while I still can."
"Can I at least be part of it?" I asked, and she turned around to face me.
"You are already part of it." She answered, but I knew what she meant.
I shook my head and said, "Not as your boss, and also not as your wife because I forced you, but because you have romantic feelings towards me."
She smiled at me, not a happy smile but an apologetic smile.
"Don't fall for me. Don't let yourself develop deeper romantic feelings towards me. Please, I'm pleading with you not to continue those feelings towards me. "
"But why? Explain it to me, Lalisa, so I can understand you. "
"You will just hurt yourself, I'm not worthy to deserve whatever you feeling towards me. Don't love me, Jennie. " She shook her head slowly, not wanting me to continue my feelings towards her.
I snapped my fingers when I figured it out, the reason why my Lalisa was here in South Korea. I looked at Jisoo and she glanced at me confusedly.
"Why? Do you remember something?" Jisoo asked, and I nodded.
"Freedom. She went here not because she wants to work under my company but because she wants to have a normal life. Probably working under my company was probably just for experience and to earn money by their own hardwork." I told Jisoo, and she hummed in response.
"That makes sense, but still, your wife's life was in danger, especially when your father doesn't like her for you and he was finding something he could use against Limario, so he had a reason to hurt or even harm her."
I groaned in response.
This is so stressful.
Minutes later, we arrived at the KM Group and lots of black cars were parked in front. There were some cars that I didn't recognize, but it looks like my father was already here to harm my wife.
"Let's go!" Jisoo grabbed my wrist and we ran together inside of the building.
We soon stop on our tracks when we notice that the Brüshweiler are also here and they are having a staring fight with my father and his men.
They were pointing guns at each other, and my wife was standing in the middle, her hands motioning to each side to not shoot each other.
Both sides obeyed but still pointed guns at each other in case someone tried to pull something.
"Like what I expected, you are not from a normal family, Lalisa, or should I say, Ms. Inheritor." Dad said while glaring at Mr. Marco.
"Put down your gun, Jiyong." Mr. Marco said, and he looked like he wanted to pull his daughter to his side, but he couldn't.
"I can't believe that an enemy can easily enter my company, get our trust, especially my own daughter, and know everything about us." Dad let out a sigh and shook his head in disbelief.
I was about to walk towards him, but Jisoo stopped me, shaking her head in disagreement since she knows it's dangerous.
"It's fine." I reassured her and she hesitantly removed her hold.
I slowly walked towards my father, and when he felt my presence, he broke eye contact with Mr. Marco and he looked at me.
"Did you know about this?" Dad asked me, earning a nod from me. "Since when?"
"Just earlier." I answered.
He handed me his second gun and made me point it at my own wife. "Don't hesitate to pull the trigger if I said so."
"What? Do you want me to kill her?" I asked him in disbelief, but the gun in my hand remained pointing at my own wife.
"Yes, Ruby Jane." He answered without hesitation.
"She is the inheritor and if you did kill her it's another war. You against the world." I stated, but he just clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"She betrayed us and played us. She pretended to be a normal person to get our trust, know everything about us, and spill every single thing to the Brüshweiliers." He glared at my wife. "Behind that innocent face, there is a demon hiding inside."
I looked over at my wife and she looked so calm.
We both made eye contact, and she smiled softly at me, her eyes filled with a mix of emotions.
She badly wanted to explain herself to everyone, especially to me, but she couldn't, not in the middle of this situation wherein both sides were ready to kill each other.
'I'm sorry.' She mouthed at me.
I shook my head.
I understand her. She didn't want any of this.
She only wanted to have a normal life where she could do everything she wanted since she had been stuck inside their mansion for a lot of years because it was for her own security.
Being the inheritor was probably the last thing she ever liked, since it was taking away her freedom and probably also her happiness.
If she finally reveals herself to the public, she will have a lot of responsibilities and duties that she needs to fulfill because if she did not, it would cause a mess for the whole world.
The inheritor will be the peace to end everything like war.
"I'm sorry for this." I said it loudly enough for everyone to hear.
They all looked at me with confusion and eyebrows furrowed.
I pointed my gun at my own father, which made him freeze in his spot. His eyes widened and his expression looked so betrayed.
Some of his men relucantly pointed their guns at me. They didn't know if they were supposed to point their guns at me to protect my father since I was the heiress.
I slowly walked towards my wife as I pointed my gun at my father.
"What are you doing, Ruby Jane?" My father asked angrily.
"Standing up for my own wife." I answered, earning a gasp from the Brüshweilers.
Jisoo looked at me in both surprise and amusement. Shaking her head in disbelief, she snatched a gun from one of my father's men, kicking him out of her way, and pointed it at my father as she approached me and my wife.
"You are both betraying the Kim family!!" Dad yelled out.
"We know, Uncle." Jisoo responded in a matter-of-fact tone.
The Brüshweilers were about to pull my wife to their side, but Jisoo stopped them by pointing her gun at them.
"Nope, not a chance." Jisoo shook her head in disagreement.
Jisoo stood on the left side of my wife and I stood on the right side. We are both guarding and protecting my wife.
"What are you both doing?" Lalisa asked.
"Protecting you." Jisoo and I said in unison.
"I appreciate it, but what you were both doing was a suicide."
We both looked at her blankly and she just sighed in defeat, already accepting her fate that she would either die here or manage to escape alive with us.
"It's not nothing, you dimwit. If I let your family get you, we won't be able to see you again since you will be locked out of your mansion slash prison. And if I let the Kims get you, you would be dead." Jisoo clicked her tongue in annoyance.
I frowned when I heard what Jisoo had said.
"Are you going to leave me?" I asked my wife.
She glared at Jisoo but soon softened when we made eye contact. "If I have and need to, I will."
She had already decided and accepted her fate. I don't think I can still change her decision since, as an inheritor, she needs to fulfill her duties and that requires her to leave the country and me especially.
Well, she already told me about her leaving, to which I responded by saying that she should tell me if she is leaving me because I don't want her to leave without saying goodbye.
"Ruby Jane, get back here!!" "Dad yelled
I shook my head.
"No! I don't want to! You guys need to calm down and let my wife explain." I told him and he continued to glare at me. "Dad, I won't hesitate to pull this fucking trigger if you try to kill my wife."
"Wife? What was this young lady saying, Pranpriya?" I heard Mr. Marco asked his daughter.
I glanced at my wife, Lalisa, and she smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of her head, and her mouth kept opening and closing, thinking about where to start explaining.
"Can we have a seat and a proper talk?" Lalisa asked everyone.
No one answered, their guns still pointing at each other.
Jisoo nudged her, making my wife let out a deep sigh. "Use your inheritor card, Limario."
"Put down your guns and don't make me repeat my fucking question!" Lalisa shouted, which made everyone flinch.
Everyone put down their guns on the floor, raised their hands in surrender, and looked at her with fear in their eyes.
Jisoo almost did the same thing, but my wife stop her by grabbing her arm.
I looked at my father and he was doing the same thing as what his men were doing. I didn't expect him to be this obedient.
I thought my mom could be the only one who could make him obey, but I guess the inheritor could make him too.
Lalisa cleared her throat, "Let's talk in the meeting room."
She led the way, and we all followed her from behind.
This was the first time I followed someone from behind like a servant who's willing to serve its master.
Jisoo and I are walking together. I noticed that her hand was trembling, so I held it, which made her look at me.
"I'm afraid too." I told her.
"Stop with your craziness. I thought I was going to die earlier. Not all the time you need to be whipped towards your wife." She whispered, and I just shrugged my shoulders.
•••
JISOO
We are all inside the meeting room. The Kims were sitting across from the Brüshweilers, and the inheritor was standing in front of us. She was looking at us and it was obvious in her expression that she was done with this bullshit.
"Listen up: I did not come to work at KM Group because I wanted to. The reason I work here is because of my mom, Chittip Manoban. She didn't tell me the reason, but I'm sure that she didn't make me work here to do something bad against the Kims, like exposing and spilling every important detail about the Kim family." She started explaining, calmly.
Uncle was about to speak or rebut, but Lalisa cut him off with a sharp look.
"If you, Mr. Jiyong Kim, think that I betray you, your family, and especially your daughter, you are a hundred and one percent wrong about that. I came here to South Korea for my own sake. It never crosses my mind to do something bad against the family that is part of the top 10. Heck, I don't care what you all do with your own lives."
"I begged my parents to let me live freely, which they agreed to, but with a condition. They let me have a free and normal life for 365 days, and when that time is up, I will be going back to the country where I'm from and inherit everything. Be the inheritor like what you have all been waiting and wanting just to end everything; the war, the threats, and all the problems of this society."
"In summary, I came here to have fun and live my life to the fullest till my time runs out. After that, I will be revealed to the public and do my job as the inheritor." She looked over at her step-father, who was patiently waiting for her explanation about her relationship with Jennie.
Lalisa walked towards Jennie, grabbing her hand, and they stood up in front of us. She smiled sweetly at Jennie and looked at us with a serious face.
"This is Jennie Ruby Jane Kim, my wife." Lalisa introduced her wife to everyone inside the meeting room.
Mr. Marco furrowed his eyebrow, staring at Lalisa and Jennie's interwoven hands. He wasn't shocked nor surprised, but he looked relucant about his daughter's relationship with Jennie.
He stayed quiet.
All of a sudden, the door opened widely, revealing the wife of Mr. Marco and the biological mother of Limario, Mrs. Chittip Manoban.
Her heels were echoing inside the meeting room as she walked towards her own daughter.
Slap!
We all gasped when Mrs. Chittip slapped her own daughter. She was raging. Her gaze went to her daughter's wife, and she suddenly strangled Jennie as she pushed her towards the wall.
"Mom!" She forcefully removed her mom's hold from Jennie's neck, which she successfully did.
All the Kims stood up from their seats, pulling out their guns and pointing their guns at Mrs. Chittip Manoban, but the Brüshweilers immediately blocked their way.
"What do you think you are doing, Mom?!" Lalisa raises her tone and hides Jennie behind her.
"I should be the one to ask you that, Pranpriya! What do you think you are doing with that girl? I gave you freedom, which you should enjoy by doing things like playing outside and not having some sort of puppy love with this woman!!" Mrs. Chittip brought out a gun from her purse and shot the ceiling, which made everyone flinch.
Lalisa deadly glared at her mom. Veins were visible in her neck. However, she prevents her anger from ear herself, which might result in her hurting her own mom.
"Her family and our family never get along well, so both parties decide to just avoid trying to get on each other's way and here you are, the inheritor was in a relationship with the daughter of a rival family. I know you are not this dumb. I know that you are aware that the Kims and us are not getting along. If you are both girlfriends, break up; if you two are married, get a divorce." Mrs. Chittip said, not caring about the furious look her daughter was giving her.
Lalisa was about to attack her own mom, but Jennie grabbed her arm and went in front of her, blocking her away.
"That is never going to happen, even in your dreams, Mrs. Chittip. I, Jennie Ruby Jane Kim, will never get a divorce with your daughter, Lalisa Pranpriya Manoban-Brüshweiler. No matter what happens, we won't get a divorce, even if it will cause for my own life." Jennie bravely spoke up, even though her hands were trembling.
Mrs. Chittip smirked and pointed the gun at Jennie's forehead.
Before Limario could do something, Jennie shook her head, signaling her not to do anything.
I notice that Uncle looks so worried. He is sweating so hard. He couldn't do anything since his daughter's life was on the line and before he could even try to hurt Mrs. Chittip, his daughter would be dead with one pull of the trigger.
"As expected of a Kim, you are all brave but still weak and vulnerable when it comes to things so important to your life. That's the main reason why you can never ever surpass us." Mrs. Chittip raised her free hand and motioned to someone.
A man in a suit went inside as he pushed the wheelchair that Mrs. Elizabeth Manoban was currently sitting in.
Auntie Kim was following behind, which confused everyone in the room, including me. She was not in her bright state; her expression was so serious.
Mrs. Elizabeth arrived in front of us, and we all bowed 90 degrees, showing our deepest respect. Both parties hide their guns and stand up straight.
"Chittip." Mrs. Elizabeth uttered, with a hint of warning in her voice.
Defeatedly, Mrs. Chittip put down her gun and went behind her mother, changing the man's position. She continued pushing her mother's wheel chair towards Lalisa and Jennie's direction.
"Pranpriya, tell me who this young lady is." Mrs. Elizabeth said, pertaining to Jennie.
"She is my wife." Lalisa replied, and Mrs. Elizabeth shook her head. She let out a deep sigh, calming her nerves, and spoke. "This is Jennie Ruby Jane Kim, the President of KM Group and the owner of Next Management."
Mrs. Elizabeth smiled at Jennie and said, "You've got yourself a beautiful wife, Pranpriya. She is much more beautiful in person than on TV.
Auntie Kim walked towards Jennie and dragged her away from Mrs. Elizabeth, protectively hiding Jennie behind her.
"Celestia." I snapped my head at Mrs. Chittip when I heard my mother's name from her mouth.
She flashed me a soft smile, which warmed my heart. "You are the only daughter of Celestia Kim, right?"
"Yes, I am." I answered.
Mrs. Elizabeth stood up from her wheel chair and approached me. Then she engulfed me with a tight hug.
"My granddaughter." She said something, which made me frown.
"W-what?" I asked confusedly, unable to process what I heard.
She pulled away from me and put a strand of my hair behind my ear. "Your real mother's name is Celestia Manoban. She is my oldest daughter."
"W-where is... she?" I stuttered and no one uttered a word.
They all avoided my gaze except Limario, she was looking at me with sad eyes. "Resting."
"Resting where?" I asked, feeling so eager to know the answer.
"Somewhere." Limario said in a low voice, almost in a whisper.
I ran towards her and grabbed both of her collars, making her look at me. She was surprised with my sudden behavior.
"Where is she?! You know her, but why did you hide her from me? You are aware that I have been looking for her, but why didn't you tell me where she is?" I shake her body as I raise my tone at her.
"I-i... I didn't know you were her daughter." She responded.
I pushed her away from me, which made her stumble and fall on the ground.
"What kind of bullshit is that?! You are the inheritor, and you have a lot of power and connections. Your family knows my mom and me. It sounds so fishy that you didn't know that information. What the fuck, Limario?! You know how much my mom means to me and you promised me that you would help me to find her, but here you are. You didn't tell me that you know her and you are related to her!" I marched towards her and forcefully made her stand up. "Why? Why didn't you tell me?"
"I told you, I didn't know." She reasoned it out.
I raised my fist and was about to punch her, but I felt something inside me stop me from doing it. I removed my hand from her collar and stayed away from her, afraid that I might hurt her.
"You're lying." I stated, and she shook her head.
"I'm not, Jichu."
I slammed my hand on the table, "You are!! Limario, you are one of the people I trusted the most. Why did you prohibit me from knowing my mom's whereabouts? Why didn't you tell me?! Are you having fun watching me look for my like a loyal puppy that's looking for its owner?! I trusted you!!"
All of a sudden, Lisa grabs both of my wrists and hits her face with them. She looked like she was about to cry but still held her tears.
"Hit me! hurt me! Do whatever you want, but I'm not lying to you. I didn't know that you were her daughter. My whole family didn't tell me, and I just learned it when grandma hugged you. Jichu, believe me please, I will never lie to you." She pleaded, making my heart clench.
Did her own family hide everything from her?
Did they just use her?